Fage protective device



p 1952 J. o. JOHNSON 2,610,323

FACE PROTECTIVE DEVICE Fil ed July 28, 1950 INVENTOK JOHN OLWER JOHNSON ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 16, V 1952 .p

American Optical This invention relates to protectivedevicesoi thetyp'etembo'dying aheadgear and v-a-face shield carried by said headgear and/has particular'reference to novel means and:method'.of-m-aking thesame. V i i Devices of thechar-acter embodying ithe invention are, in most instances,-:formed with la headgear I embodying w-a,- ba nd to which a light weight; transparent plasticshield-is attached and adapted to beisupported in front-of theface.

w. Suchf'devi'ces 1 are -for igeneralutility as protective m eans for both the face and the eyes of the wearer when-the said wearer is subjected to the hazardsmfaflyingsparks or particles tsuch-as in lathe'nor, grinding operations, to heat 7 in connectionwithlgeneral worlc around furnaces, or when subjected to the hazards of L splashing chemicals or thelike. v a

The device is ;-such; that it must not only T be extremelylight in weight and-comfortable to wear but also -mnst enable the interchanging of face shieldswhen they become pitted or; other- Wise. rendered impractical for usei Inmost instances, the headgear embodying the headband to which the shield is attached is formed of a fiber material while the shield itself is'formed' of a transparent plastic or-otherzresinousmaterial.attached'to'the headband 'by: snap fasteners or similar attachment means whereby the, shields may he readily detached from the headgearland :replaeed as desired. W

it has been found tl-lat the shieldsgdue to the material -from which they" are fabricated, have a tendencygto shrink primarily; due-to aging when stored and also have a: tendencytobecome warped or distorted when -subj ected after allowed to cool;

"The. above characteristics aresuch as to cai'i'se considerable difiiculty inthe past. It,-therfore, is onev of the primary objects of .thisiinvention to overcome the above vd'iificulties ithroughthe provision of means'for iaidingcin preventing or compensating for this. so-called warping or distortionfdf the shields and method'o'fi-making the same. v 7

Another object is to "provide novel means and method of attaching'the, shield to the headgear orhe'adband whereby said-' shield and headband arefree' to "shiftrelatlve' to "eachfotherto eom pensate, for variations-inexpansion and con-- tractionbf' the materials in said'shield andheadband inbrder to avoid'distortion-or wa-rping *of theshild during use; V r

Another-object is -'-to "pro ide novel ameans "and method *of attaching-the shield to the' 'headband toiheat and .there-' Company, r southbridge, v

"iMa'ss TaivGlHntary association of Massachusetts ziApplieationalilly 128, 1950, Sei'ial N0; 1 76541"! (CL-H) orzheadgean whereby the said :shield andl'zheade. gearlare free .to shiftrrelativeto 1eachaothefarid whereby the .shi'eldaisxfurtherzenabledto; be zreadx c ilyadetachedzfor ireplacementxl'as desired.

iotherrobjectse and advantages of Fthe; invention will :be'comeiapparent from the: followin idesefipi tion taken in connection withthe aocompanyingdrawings, 3 andi't is tolib'e xnnderstood' that 'rrmahy changes may beimadein the-details of construes tion 'rarrangementcof p'a"rts,:and? methods shown" andtdescribed without depar-ting: from" the: spirit of :thezininehtionzas expressedin the accompany-:1 ingtclaims'. :EIhe inventiongtherefore;isnotzlima ited '.to the aexact :details' aoficonstruction;are rangement cofirparts, s and methods eshowniand' described as the preferred by:way:;of;illustration. c .y

iReferringztozthe':drawings: 1 c; 1151s:ajront perspectivenwew or itheadeviee; showingdt imposition .of inse-Ion ithe:headwfltlie wearer; 'm 'm r. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View takenmong rline 112- 42 in :Fig. ,1 10f zone'aiof the zxsonnecting' im'ean's and associated parts:

iliigl 3 I is :an'. enlargedfragmentary xear "view. of amorti'on .of :the'xshield showing onezof (the connectiontmeans; and, .v y. :5. T taiisizan enlarged fragmentary-dram we ofiamo'dified formaoithednventiom. 3.

Referring :more j particularly Tito 2th 'adrawin'gs wherein ilike icharaeters of creiererice rdesignate like 1 partslithroughout :the-fiseverahviem; "theme vice embodying the; invention :c'omprises Ea c-z'nain visor-like portion 5 having an inneriedgeifishapei} substantially to ithe ceurvature lot :the iforeliad and? furtheri'having 1011 its ."outerizedge za dependa; ing'ilip :1. A headband 1811s pivotallytcomiected to the visonelike portion-:5, as zillustrated oatril"; whereby ithe'ssaid ivisor-like :portion may i be :se-B cured imposition of usezo'n thetheadiofthewearen;

The depending lip haszaipluralitycofzspaeed. openings lfllathereinadapted tozreceiveitheifem e5 ortions 2 H o'f snaprfastener Imeanszby' rtransparent shield 12 may :bet-securedzin-=:overI-s lying relation withfthezfacerof :the'iwearer. 'fl-he said i transparent :shield I112 has zaapluralityj inf spacedi'slots 11.3 thereimandzin whiehzarefloosel-y'; supported the lm'ale imembers 'slfd (oft thetssna-gi fastener means. t'..;i:-

- iIts is particularly pointed ovlt thatseachitemale member: I l :ofv'tl'msmap; fastenerimeansaiszofiiazfsize largerihanitheizrespective':opening. [HI-win: theslixi: 1 iandtembodies: azreducedaporfiioh F115 ewhichsexez tendsyithroug'h the-iopening 1 l0 .zandzwhichrfiaresz formnonlyiiismiven' rear surface of said lip 7. The said flared portion I6 permanently secures the female member II to the lip in such a manner as to enable the enlarged head portion I! of the male member I4 to be detachably positioned within the female member, the said reduced portion l5 being of a resilient nature and so dimensioned as to permit thehead'portion I! to be forced therethrough and to thereafter retain a binding relation with the said head portion. The head portion I! is provided with a rearwardly flared portion I8 shaped to overlie the front surface of the transparent shield I2. The said male mem ber I4 further embodies a portion I9 which extends through a respective slot I3 in said transparent shield and which has a flared forward end 20 internally of the head portion [1 whereby said forwardly extending portion I9 is retained Within said head portion I1. The said portion I9 is provided with a flange-like flared portion 2I adapted to overlie the rear surface of the shield I2. The said flared portions 2I andIB straddle the said slot I3 and are spaced relative to, each other an amount slightly greater than the thickness of the shield I2 so as to enable the said male member I4 to be free to move longitudinally of the respective slot I3.

. Itis particularly pointed out that the slots I3 extend in a direction longitudinally of the lip 'I and, due to the fact that the male members ll of the snap fastener means are free to move longitudinally of said slots, slight variations due to expansion or contraction of either the shield or visor-like portion will be compensated for and the shield, therefore, preventedfrom becoming warped or distorted.

The visor-like portion 5 and headband 8 are preferably formed of pressed fiber or other suitable .relatively. :hard, shape-retaining material while the face shield I2is preferably formed of a transparent, artificial, resinous or plastic ma terial.

The shield I2 is provided with a suitable edge framing 22 throughout the bottom and sides thereof and mayor may not be initially fabricated to the curvature of the face as desired. It is preferable, however, that the shield be initially curved to the curvature of the. face and that the framing 22 be of such as to aid in retaining said shape and yet permit the shield to have free movement on the connection means when the said shield expands or contracts either due to aging or to subjection to heat and subsequent cooling.

. While it has been stated that the shield I2 maybe provided with a plurality of slots I3, it is .to be understood that the lip I of the visorlikev portion 5 may be provided with slots 23 (Fig. 4) similar to the slots I3 in which instance, however, the female portion II would be connected to the lip I so as to be free to move longitudinally of the slots 23 and the male portion I4 would be fixedly attached to the shield I2 instead of having the slots I3 therein. From the foregoing description, it, will .be seen that simple, emcient and economical means have been provided for accomplishing all of the objects and advantages of the invention.

Iclaim:

: 1; A device of the character described comprising a shield member shaped to overlie the face of a wearer, a supporting member therefor adapted to be held in position on the head of said wearer, one of said members having spaced axially aligned elongated slots extending in a direction transversely thereof, and spaced connection means by which the shield member may be detachably connected with the supporting member therefor, said connection means each embodying a first part aflixed to one of said members at a location in substantial alignment with one of said slots, and a second part having a stud portion extending through the slot provided in the other member with which said first part is substantially aligned, said elongated slots being of a length greater than the diameter of said respective stud portions, and said stud portions further having plate-like portions disposed to overlie the opposed surfaces of the slotted member and being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the slotted member whereby the shield member and supporting member therefor are free to shift relative to each other to avoid distortion of the shield member when in said connected relation with the supporting member.

2. A device of the character described comprising a flexible shield member shaped to overhe the face of a wearer and having spaced axially aligned slots adjacent the top edge thereof, a supporting member therefor adapted to be held in position on-the head of said wearer, and spaced connection means by which the shield member may be detachably connected with the supporting member therefor, said connection means each embodying a first part afiixed to said supporting member at a location in substantial alignment with a respective oneof said slots in the top edge of the shieldmember, and

a second part having a stud portion extending through a respective one of said elongated slots provided in theshield member, said elongated slots being of a length several times the diameter of said respective stud portions, and said stud portions further having plate-like portions disposed to overlie the opposed surfaces of the shield member about the respective slots and being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the shield member whereby the shield member and supporting member therefor are free to shift relative to each other to avoid distortion of the shield member when in said connected relation with the supporting member,

3. A device of the character described comprising a shield member shaped to overlie the face of a wearer, a supporting member therefor adapted to be held in position on the head of said wearer and having a portion arranged to overlap'the top edge of the shield, said overlapping portion of the supporting member having spaced axially aligned elongated slots d-isposed in a direction substantially parallel with the top edge of the shield member, and spaced connection means by which the shield member may be detach-ably connected with the supporting member therefor, said connection means each embodying a first :part affixed to the overlapped portion of the shield member at a 10- cation substantially aligned with a. respective one of. said slots, and a second part .having a stud portionextending through a respective one of said. elongated slots providedin the overlapping portion of the supporting' member, "said.

the supporting s gems,

her and being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of said slotted overlapping portion whereby the shield member and supporting member therefor are free to shift relative to each other to avoid distortion of the shield member when in said connected relation with the supporting member.

4. A device of the character described comprising a shield member shaped to overlie the face of a wearer, a supporting member therefor adapted to be held in position on the head of said wearer, the front portion of the supporting member and top edge portion of the shield member being arranged in overlapping relation, with one of said overlapping portions having spaced elongated slots provided therein and extending in a direction approximately parallel with the top edge portion of the shield, and spaced connection means by which the shield member may be detachably connected with the supporting member therefor, said connection means each embodying a first part afixed to the overlapping portion of one of said members at a location substantially aligned with a respective one of said slots provided in the overlapping portion of the other member, and 'a second part having a stud portion extending through a respective one of said elongated slots provided in the other member, said elongated slots being of a length several times the diameter of saidcrespective stud portions, and said stud portion further having plate-like portions disposed to overlie the opposed surfaces of the slotted member, said plate-like portions being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the slotted member whereby the shield member and supporting member therefor are free to shift relative to each other to avoid distortion of the shield connected relation with the supporting member.

5. A device of the character described comprising a shield member shaped to overlie the member when in said .tending in a direction approximately face of a wearer, a supporting member therefor adapted to be held in position on the head of said wearer, the front portion of the supporting member and top edge portion of the shield member being arranged in overlapping relation, with one of said overlapping portions having spaced elongated slots provided therein and exparallel with the top edge portion of the shield, and spaced snap fastener means by which the shield member may be detachably connected with the supporting member therefor, said snap fastener means each embodying a female part alfixed to the overlapping portion of one of said members at a location substantially aligned with a respective one of said slots provided in the overlapping portion of the other member, and a male part secured to the other member by a stud portion extending through a respective one of said elongated slots provided in said other member and having plate-like portions disposed to overlie the opposed surfaces of the slotted member, said plate-like portions being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the slotted member, and said elongated slots being of a length greater than the diameter of said respective stud portions whereby the shield member and supporting member therefor are free to shift relative to each other to avoid distortion of the shield member when in said connected relation with the supporting member.

JOHN OLIVER JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Mueller Aug. 17, 1948 

